Return of the Mini-Reviews!

It's been eight months since my last Mini Book Review post and I've read twenty-three new books and reread at least thirty books. Yep, I eat books like popcorn. ;-) At least I have a clue how much back breaking work goes into writing a single scene much less an entire work of fiction.

It's time to share a few more good books with you. Today, I'm sticking strictly with Women's Fiction. In fact, three of these authors are my fellow members of the Women's Fiction Writers Association. All I can say is, enjoy!

 

 

THE GLASS WIVES--Amy Sue Nathan

The Glass Wives is a sensitive and truthful story of ex-wives, widows, and single mothers—and the children who share their lives. Amy Sue Nathan has a voice that will sweep you into its embrace. Check out my interview of Amy Sue Nathan from May 21, 2013. I'm still in awe of the intensity of The Glass Wives. This is one of those books that really make you rethink the clichés about divorce and puts it into human perspective. This is a must read.



 

 LOUDER THAN LOVE--Jessica Topper

Louder Than Love is a "twofer". It's a masterful look at a young mother and widow's efforts to come to terms with her loss and how to live again. It's also an unconventional love story--one that will knock you off your feet. Jessica Topper's voice is refreshing and you won't think you've read this one before, because it's an amazing blend of library science and rock and roll. This is a must read.

 

 

BECALMED--Normandie Fischer

Becalmed is another truly unique combination of ideas and experiences. The main character--Tadie Longworth--is a jewelry maker, experienced sailor, and (in one of those loaded Southern terms) a spinster. She faces growing older with her old jerk of a boyfriend back in town when she meets a fellow sailor whose little girl steals her heart. Stuck between the old and the new, she's becalmed in a stew of what might have been and what could be. This is a delightful look at what a hurricane can blow in. Becalmed is a delightful read.

 

 

THE WISHING HILL--Holly Robinson

The Wishing Hill explores what happens when you think you've run away from your past, only to find that it is creeping up on you when you least expect it. This is a haunting story about recognizing the truth that our lives are made up of many choices and experiences. To live fully, we have to accept the good and the bad. The Wishing Hill is a lovely read.

 

I promise you can't go wrong with any of these books. So, if you're hunting a good read to keep you comfortable during the long winter nights ahead, check them out!

 

I promise to not let eight months go by without another installment of mini-reviews. In fact, I hope to do one a month for a while...or more often. Happy reading! ;-)





Author Interview: Amy Sue Nathan and Her Debut Novel--The Glass Wives

I met Amy Sue Nathan in the blogsphere when someone who knows I write women’s fiction suggested I check out Amy’s blog—Women’s FictionWriters. The blog is a wonderful celebration of women’s fiction authors, and a discussion of various writing topics, and updates on Amy’s journey to the publication with The Glass Wives, published (May 14, 2013). Also check out her website Amy Sue Nathan.

 

Evie and Nicole Glass share a last name. They also shared a husband.

When a tragic car accident ends the life of Richard Glass, it also upends the lives of Evie and Nicole, and their children. There’s no love lost between the widow and the ex. In fact, Evie sees a silver lining in all this heartache—the chance to rid herself of Nicole once and for all. But Evie wasn’t counting on her children’s bond with their baby half-brother, and she wasn’t counting on Nicole’s desperate need to hang on to the threads of family, no matter how frayed. Strapped for cash, Evie cautiously agrees to share living expenses—and her home—with Nicole and the baby. But when Evie suspects that Nicole is determined to rearrange more than her kitchen, Evie must decide who she can trust. More than that, she must ask: what makes a family?

ZM: The Glass Wives is a sensitive and truthful story of ex-wives, widows, and single mothers—and the children who share their lives. Amy Sue Nathan has a voice that will sweep you into its embrace.

It’s been said that all debut novels have autobiographical elements. Do you think that’s true?

Amy:  I can’t speak for anyone but me, but there is part of me in The Glass Wives. My ex-husband died suddenly after we divorced, so that was the springboard for the novel. What does that mean? It’s not based on a true story, but I got the idea from that tragic event. I promise, I do not have a young widow living in my basement (I just checked).

ZM: Tell us about The Glass Wives’ journey from first idea to publication.

Amy:  Okay, sit a spell! I started writing in 2007, queried 116 agents in 2010 and signed with Jason Yarn in October 2010, sold to St. Martin’s in October 2011. Now it’s May 2013 and my book is on shelves in stores and ereaders!

 

ZM: 116! Wow, you've got patience!

Amy, you’ve done so much to promote women’s fiction writers on your blog. One of your standard interview questions s, “What’s your definition of women’s fiction?” I thought I’d turn the tables on you. What’s your definition? ; )

Amy: I’m smiling, Zan Marie. Ha, you got me! To me, women’s fiction is simply an encompassing label for books that probably appeal most to women and are not about romance. I also like the term book club fiction because books that are character driven and laden with issues give book clubs some meaty pages to talk about.  I can’t believe I’m quoting myself, but here goes: Women’s fiction is a book where the main character saves herself.

 
ZM:  I know you’ve been on the ground floor of the new Women’s Fiction Writers Association. What’s the latest news about WFWA?

Amy: I know that the founding team is getting closer to having the legalities worked out so the site can be launched. I can’t wait!

 
ZM: What’s next? Do you have a new book in the works?

Amy:  I do! Right now the title is FALLING INTO PLACE and it’s about a single mom blogger who lies about having a boyfriend, she achieves internet fame based on these lies, and then is offered a job on a popular website as a relationship expert even though in real life she doesn’t date at all—and she takes it. It’s a book about the big and small lies people tell, and what has to happen for someone to come clean and face the consequences. It’s also about how our lives online can sometimes overshadow our real lives.

ZM: Many craft books stress that writers must read and read a lot. Who is your favorite author, or what is your favorite genre? What draws you to a book you read for enjoyment?

Amy: I don’t have a favorite author, but I do gravitate to women’s fiction and literary fiction, that is something I know. I dabble in reading chick lit, the occasional thriller, some memoir. But mostly I read what I like to write.

ZM: Finally, what question do you wish interviewers would ask, but they never do?

Amy: Oh wow. I guess it would be fun to talk about how exhausting launch week is so that authors who come after me can rest up now!!

AMY SUE NATHAN lives and writes near Chicago where she hosts the popular blog, Women's Fiction Writers. She has published articles in Huffington Post, Chicago Tribune and New York Times Online among many others.  Amy is the proud mom of a son and a daughter in college, and a willing servant to two rambunctious rescued dogs.